Brainstorming With Brooke

I celebrated my birthday on Thursday. Some people don’t like their birthdays because it is a reminder they are getting older. Kids always enjoy celebrating birthdays, but somewhere along the way, the switch seems to flip for many.  I’ve always loved celebrating my birthday and even more so now because it wasn’t clear that I would get to celebrate with my family and friends after I suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of an accident .So, having breakfast and dinner with my kids followed by cake and a movie made for a wonderful day. The celebration will spill over into the next two weeks with some friends and family. What do birthday celebrations have to do with a  brain injury ? Brain injuries don’t all present in the same way. I am fortunate that mine did not impact my long-term memory . Though my TBI left me with some occasional  short term memory deficits , my pre-accident memory is completely intact. I remember not only important dates (birthdays of family...

 Summer in Seattle provides a great opportunity to enjoy the sunny weather while we have it.  It’s not easy for me to engage in every outdoor activity due to my disability, but this summer, I’m  challenging myself to engage in sports that are keeping me active and pushing me to develop new skills and muscles: rock climbing and kayaking Both activities are offered by a nonprofit organization called Outdoors for All.  https://outdoorsforall.org/ Though I never climbed or kayaked before my accident, I’m finding it very rewarding to challenge myself in these new physical ways despite my disability.  My participation requires not only physical exertion but also concentration to ensure I’m safe. When I’m rock climbing, I need to listen carefully to the instructor about how to safely ascend and the same goes for the descent down. I’ve found that after each activity, I’m (a) sore, (b) starving, (c) exhausted.  In both of these activities, the hardest part can ...

A s we age, people often need reminders. I’ve been a consummate list maker since I was very young. I have always planned my days in lists, sometimes going beyond the average to do lists  adding specific timeframes. Because my traumatic brain injury has resulted in short term memory deficits, I need ways to keep track of things.  Thankfully, technology has come a long way since the paper lists I made as a child. I make a lot of lists on my phone in the notes app.  I also keep notes on my Alexa. In my bedroom, where I have an Alexa, I’ll say, “Alexa Create a list called Things to do Thursday.”  Then you can add things to the list verbally and look at the list on your Alexa app.  I also rely very heavily on my calendar. As soon as something is scheduled, it goes  on the calendar. I look at the calendar first thing in the morning and throughout the day. Apart from technology, I also use memory strategies.  Chunking is one strategy. If you are trying to rem...

  It’s graduation season, and this one is extra special for me because there is a graduate in my family. My daughter is graduating from high school. It’s so exciting to see my oldest child end one chapter and move on to a new one. You might be wondering what this has to do with brain injury. In my mind, events like graduations are like markers in my recovery. Every step, whether it is physical, or cognitive, takes effort and time. Like a graduation, it doesn’t happen in the blink of an eye or without a long-term commitment to the goal. On the physical side, I went from a wheelchair to a crutch and now walk only with a hiking pole. On the cognitive front, I am working to compensate for the losses to my short-term memory and other challenges that resulted from my traumatic brain injury. Instead of focusing on what I’ve lost, I focus on the hard work I need to invest to advance my recovery. I’m willing to put in the hard work, but the progress comes incrementally and not without fru...

Attending events at venues like a stadium makes me more conscious of how much more work remains to be done to make large scale events and venues accessible. I’m very fortunate to be able to walk, but it is still a challenge to navigate a stadium setting. While the venue was ADA compliant, I think the vast majority of stadiums could be more thoughtful in their approach. On Sunday, when the game concluded, one of the staff impatiently told me that I needed to exit quickly because the game was over.  T he reality is that I couldn’t exit quickly because there were places with no rails.  Even with rails I’m not as fast as the average person and never will be. What’s more, I need someone to walk with me for safety reasons. I’m not talking about stadium staff, I'm referencing someone at the event who accompanied me.       Some venues have a really good understanding of my needs and have dedicated ushers to walk you to your seat before the show and help you out aft...

This post  isn’t 100% TBI related, but it’s timely because of Mother’s Day. Like many, my TBI was life changing.  Mine was also life threatening. It was far from a given that I would survive my injuries.  All moms love their kids, of course, but Mother’s Day is especially significant for me because it was not always sure that I would be here for that holiday.  I’m so thankful that I am.  We celebrated with brunch and an MLB game. More about accessibility in my next post. Attending events at venues like a stadium makes me more conscious of how much more work remains to be done to make large scale events and venues accessible. I’m very fortunate to be able to walk, but it is still a challenge to navigate a stadium setting. While the venue was ADA compliant, I think the vast majority of stadiums could be more thoughtful in their approach. On Sunday, when the game concluded, one of the staff impatiently told me that I needed to exit quickly because the game was ove...